I’m attending SUNY Maritime this coming August. I am a Marine Transportation major with deck license concentration, and I’m probably going to chose ship management as a minor. Although I would like to work for Military Sealift Command upon graduation, I am also considering cruises. So, here follows a few concerns I had…
I’m truly considering getting a small tattoo, the size of my palm or smaller, of an anchor on my upper arm near my shoulder. If it really isn’t seen while in uniform, will this pose a threat to being employed on a cruise liner?
How is the general pay for deck officers, and how well does it increase?
Can I be living in the US while employed with a cruise company?
4.Since I will be an officer and not just a crew member, will I be allowed access to passenger decks during my off time? For example, the clubs or lounges?
Any help is appreciated! Thank you all!
I can answer some of your questions. I just graduated from SUNY Maritime, so that’s a plus right there. But, tattoos are no problem at maritime and in the industry. Just make sure that it’s not raunchy or vulgar. You can live in the US when on cruise ships. Depending on what company you go with, most are in the US. So you’ll just need to fly in to the port every time you report. And about being in lounges and on deck… No. You are an officer and most of the time you will it be able to mingle with crew members, that is for the captain. Not to real captain but the one that companies hire to mingle. You will be most likely stationed above the passengers quarters.
If you have any other questions about SUNY just private message me.
I can tell you don’t get the tattoo until you actually know you are going to sail and do so. You don’t want to be a desk chair sailor with an anchor and no good stories behind it!
I can’t tell you anything about the tatto, but if they can’t see it how would they know. Although personnaly I would not get one. I worked engineer on the M/V Patriot out of Hawaii for a few months right before they went under. We had access to all of the clubs and passenger decks. And although it was nice to be able to watch the stage shows, you still were not supposed to interact with the passengers, except on a professional level. We had to buy our drinks and you used your I.D. card like a credit card, so they could track your drinking habits if they wanted to. All in all it was fun, but the pay sucked, making only 130 a day as 3 A/E. Oh and we could eat in the crews mess or the passengers non formal dinning area, but not the formal dinning room.
1- the tattoo is no problem (as long as you do sail and not on a chair)
2-Not competitive when compared to other parts of the industry (OSV and Tugs)
3-Yes
4-Yes and No, If you do you must be in full uniform so you are still representing the company and ships crew witch means that you will not enjoy it (worst thing for a mariner is cargo that complains!!!)
[B]EFF THIS SHIT WITH PLANNING YOUR CAREER ALREADY…JUST GO TO SCHOOL AND ACTUALLY TRY TO LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR CHOSEN PROFESSION! THE FIRST THING TO LEARN IS TO BE A “SEAMAN” BEFORE YOU LEARN TO BE AN “OFFICER”[/B]
Btw, I think you want to be on a cruise ship because you’ll get to wear a sooper spiffy uniform and strut around all over the place pretending you’re someone important, when any third mate is nothing but a glorified cadet! Why the hell are you going to SUNY anyway with all the “real” mariner students and not at KP where you can play toy soldier in the regiment there? You even get to wear little kiddie admiral uniforms and might get to have a sword and everything…it’d be paradise for a kid like you!
Also note my words, the world cruise industry DOESN’'T WANT AMERICAN OFFICERS! We are all legal liabilities to them.
This kid’s just another bloody twerp without a clue…not even in school and he’s Captain Stubing already. Mr. Midshipman Candypants needs his butt kicked HARD by some real crusty bosun! This little darling needs to change his username to SUNYcadet1…
hey kid, send me your address so I can mail you this toy you can play with in the bathtub while you’re at school with the guys who are really learning to go to sea!
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT FUCKING MISERABLE FARCE OF A SHOW LAUNCHED AN ENTIRE MEGA INDUSTRY?
good to know the meds didn’t [B][I]cure[/I][/B] me afterall
C’mon man!!! Anchor tattoo? Really? Reminds me of the MMA world where the noobs can’t help but to get some douchey MMA tatt. At least get something original!
My suggestion: an Orca doing a backflip over 2 great whites that are feeding on a sea lion. Maybe throw a starfish in there and a sea cucumber. Put in some surf for the effect. Also maybe show a mountainside in the background with a panda bear eating some bamboo and a stream flowing down to the ocean…
This tatt would demand some respect and there would be no doubt that you are the most nautical mofo on the boat. You’re welcome in advance for the sweet idea and please post some pics of it when it’s finished!
Some years ago, I did the Annual Passenger Ship group of surveys and inspections for ABS. Due to the length of the survey, two of us rode the ship on the trip out of and back to New Orleans. This was a minor player in the cruise ship industry and is no longer in business. The officers onboard were allowed some fraternization and were certainly able to drink with the passengers in the lounge. I spent most of my time working with one of the Safety Officers (Chief Mate duties were split between the Staff Captain and the Safety Officer) who was a Croatian, but lived in Sacramento, CA.
I fully agree with thinking ahead and getting information, but I think you are planning out the details too much without knowing what it is you want to do. Wait to plan whether you want MSC, cruise ships, etc. Make it through your first year first. See if you actually like going to sea on a ship. Even though the training ship does not operate like a commercial vessel, you still get dirty and she still rolls like any other poorly laden ship. If you like that then start thinking. What you should be focusing on instead of tattoos and drinking is what courses are needed for you to have a good career as an officer or shoreside if that is the route you decide to go.
[QUOTE=MattyB;73545] What you should be focusing on instead of tattoos and drinking is what courses are needed for you to have a good career as an officer or shoreside if that is the route you decide to go.[/QUOTE]
hell, the tattoos and drinking are just as important provided that they are done in the right seamanlike manner. Sitting in some lounge on a cruiseship ain’t that!
[QUOTE=c.captain;73535][B]EFF WITH PLANNING YOUR CAREER ALREADY…JUST GO TO SCHOOL AND ACTUALLY TRY TO LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR CHOSEN PROFESSION! THE FIRST THING TO LEARN IS TO BE A “SEAMAN” AND BEFORE YOU LEARN TO BE AN “OFFICER”[/B]
Btw, I think you want to be on a cruise ship because you’ll get to wear a spiffy uniform and strut around all over the place pretending you’re someone important, when any third mate is nothing but a glorified cadet! Why the hell are you at SUNY anyway with all the real mariner students and not at KP where you can play toy soldier in the regiment there? You even get to wear little kiddie admiral uniforms and have a sword and everything there…it’d be paradise for a kid like you!
Also note my words, the world cruise industry DOESN’'T WANT AMERICAN OFFICERS! We are all legal liabilities to them.
just another bloody twerp…not even in school and he’s Captain Stubbing already. mr. midshipman candypants needs his butt kicked HARD by some real crusty bosun! little punk needs to change his username to SUNYcadet1…
hey kid, send me you address so I can mail you this toy you can play with while you’re at school with the guys really learning to go to sea!
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT FUCKING MISERABLE FARCE OF A SHOW LAUNCHED AN ENTIRE MEGA INDUSTRY?
good to know the meds didn’t [B][I]cure[/I][/B] me afterall[/QUOTE]
This must be the infamous Gas Turbine Pointy Stick Mk.2!!! :eek:
[QUOTE=Captain.BillyH;73549]Life hard,It harder when your stupid[/QUOTE]
DAMN! I am definitely gonna have to put that one into the “to use” category…
Btw, did yoou know the Duke was an avid fisherman in the NW and used to love cruising in BC and Alaskan waters with pals like John Ford and Ward Bond? He even had a WWII minesweeper for his yacht…not only a man’s man but a seaman as well!
We just aren’t living in the same world anymore and much less of a goddammed world as a result…
oh well…I’ll down a shot to your memory Duke…you were one hell of a guy and we all misses ya!
[QUOTE=KennyW1983;73560]This must be the infamous Gas Turbine Pointy Stick Mk.2!!![/QUOTE]
nah! this is the really really big one powered by twin impulse engines fueled with dilithium crystals!
at the moment I am working on a “Death Star” model that can vaporize little twerps right through the internet. Just like that sitting in front of a screen they go poof and turn into a billion little glowing bits of dust. Just can’t let the plans fall into the hands of TMAcadet1…if he and the rebel regimental officer legions get ahold of those then the Empire of Real Seamen will be destroyed!
Here’s the down and dirty on the cruise industry. I sailed for Norwegian Cruise Line onboard the former Pride of Hawaii after she was reflagged. We sailed around the med doing 10 day cruises out of Barcelona and Istanbul. 3rd officer got about 1500 a month. There was one 3rd officer, 2 2nd officers, 2 first officers, a chief officer, staff captain and then the captain. Deck department also had safety officer, sanitation officer, and security officer. It was a 6 month on 2 off contract. Deck and engine officers could not drink if they had watch within 8 hours. And yes they charged everything to your crew card, so you either took it out of your pay or just gave them cash when you signed off. Lots of fun times, interesting ports, pretty girls. But it’s rough, crappy food in the crew mess. We had one US 2nd officer, one US 3rd officer, and at one time the staff Captain was from TMA.
